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Date: 2000-08-12
China: Wieder mal WebZensur
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q/depesche 00.12/1
China: Wieder mal WebZensur
Anlässlich dieser Meldung soll wieder einmal die Frage wiederholt
werden: Wie lange wird es dauern, bis derartige Aktionen der
gesetzlich ermächtigten Behörden die einzig logische Antwort
erhalten, die auf einem der ältesten KommunikationsProtokolle
humanae conditionis basiert: Lachen.
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relayed by
Martin Mair, Reporter ohne Grenzen
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In a 10 August 2000 letter to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, CPJ
strongly condemned the recent banning of the New Culture Forum's
Web site http://www.xinwenming.net, which featured essays and
articles advocating a fresh approach to dealing with China's social
and political problems. CPJ fears that the site's former staff may now
face political persecution by Chinese authorities.
On 3 August 2000, the Ministry of State Security ordered the site's
host, the Beijing-based Million Internet Company, to shut down New
Culture Forum due to its excessively "sharp and anti-government
content," the company's general manager, Li Tao, told The
Associated Press.
The articles posted on the site were written by veteran dissidents
from Shandong Province, but were not directly critical of the Chinese
government, according to CPJ sources. Rather, the site promoted
the idea of a "new culture" (xin wenming) and featured essays
developing the theme that the beginning of a new century should be a
time for both citizens and public officials to find new strategies for
dealing with social problems.
One of the most prolific contributors to the site was author and
lawyer Mu Chuanheng, a well-known political dissident from the city
of Qingdao. Mu has been barred from practicing law since 1985 due
to his controversial books, all of which have been banned by the
authorities, according to CPJ sources. The organisation is concerned
for Mu's safety in light of news reports that police are now searching
for New Culture Forum's staff.
CPJ also deplores the harassment of employees at the Million
Internet Company, particularly general manager Li. Police
interrogated Li on four separate occasions between 4 and 7 August,
according to the New York-based organization Human Rights in
China (HRIC), and ordered him to identify the staff of the New Culture
Forum site.
Li told reporters that police had asked him to monitor more closely
the sites his company hosts, and to report any suspicious content to
the authorities.
In just over a year, seven people have been imprisoned for
exchanging news and information online. Authorities have also
stepped up efforts to police and regulate Internet content. According
to a 4 August report by the state news agency Xinhua, a special
Internet police force was established in Anhui Province several weeks
ago; it is reportedly intended as a model for similar forces across
China.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president: - respectfully urging His Excellency
to abandon the Chinese government's repressive Internet policies -
expressing the belief that frank, public discussion of social and
political issues contributes greatly to a country's stability, and is by
no means evidence of "subversion" -an accusation often leveled
against journalists and political dissidents - respectfully reminding
His Excellency that China has signed the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, under which his government is obliged to
ensure that citizens are free to seek, receive, and impart information
and ideas of all kinds, without interference - requesting that the New
Culture Forum's Web site be allowed to resume publishing online,
with no restrictions on its content - also asking His Excellency to
guarantee that Mu and his colleagues will not be persecuted for their
contributions to the site
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Jiang Zemin President, People's Republic of China
Beijing 100032 People's Republic of China Fax: +86 10 6512 5810
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Kavita Menon (x140) or Areta Lloyd at
CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212
465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: [email protected],
[email protected], Internet: http://www.cpj.org/
The information contained in this action alert update is the sole
responsibility of CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication, please credit CPJ.
_________________________________________________________
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edited by
published on: 2000-08-12
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